Long Time
by Jack Hargreave
Summary: Hope has resumed his previous life in the new world as a brilliant scientist and leader. But he hasn't met any of his former friends despite years of fruitless searching. What seems to be a bad evening at work changes that when one of his oldest and most important friends returns into his life. Post LR, contains some pairings.
1. Long Time

" **Jack is back!"**

 **So, this was something I felt I wanted to do and actually managed to complete.**

 **I know it has a very slow pace, so be warned; lots and lots of exposition.**

 **This is different from what I've ever done before, but I hope you'll enjoy none the less.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Final Fantasy 13 trilogy.**

…

 **Long Time**

…

"Anything new to report?" Hope asked as he tried to sink even deeper into the small seat which seemed to become less comfortable as the evening went by. He glanced outside through the tiny window of the small private jet, watching as planes continued to take off and land on Orly-International Airport.

 _Lucky them_ , he mused and took a sip from a bottle of water.

"No, sorry sir", one of his bodyguards informed him from the doorway to the cockpit.

Hope locked at the clock, _21:57, almost ten in the evening_. He gritted his teeth and cursed his bad luck. The day had passed by like a well-oiled machine with different meetings and a seminar in Paris University. Leaving Paris had turned out to be the hard part, or rather getting to his next destination.

"We could always fly to Sicily and travel by helicopter from there", Hope suggested, more to himself than anyone else.

His next destination was Luqa Airport on Malta, where he and his colleagues would check in to a hotel for the night and then hold another seminar at the local university and then conclude the plans for a new office in Valetta. But all those plans were now in jeopardy because of a software issue in the traffic control tower on the airport, something which kept all planes grounded and any approaching planes redirected to other airports in the Mediterranean until the staff could fix the issue. And the planes who had yet to take off for Malta was grounded on their current airports because of that.

A young man sitting in front of Hope shock his head. "No, any airfield that close to Malta needs to divert the extra space for planes who are low on fuel. We won't get to Malta anytime soon, Hope."

Hope sighed. "I know, Kai, just… just getting a bit tense I suppose."

Kai was the same age as Hope. They had known each other since preschool and had been friends ever since. While Hope had dedicated his life to scientific development, Kai had focused on his childhood dream of becoming a pilot. He had been Hope's first choice when he realized he needed a pilot he could trust wholeheartedly.

Kai smirked and stretched his back. "Look, we´re not going to go anywhere tonight, why don't we call it a night and head for the apartments? You look about as tired as I feel."

"Tired?" Hope chuckled. "More like exhausted."

Kai stood up. "See, even worse! C´mon, I'll get a car."

Hope watched as his friend left the aircraft with his phone pressed to his ear. He wanted to oppose the suggestion, there were many students who were supposed to attend his seminar. To let them down just like that made him feel guilty. Hope looked across the cabin, and met his assistant's eyes. The young woman looked just as exhausted as he imagined he felt. The same went for the two bodyguards on either side of the cabin.

 _It's been a really long and intense week_ , Hope thought. He and his staff had travelled all over Europe during the last few days with way too little sleep. Calling it a week a day earlier would not do any of them any harm.

"Cancel tomorrows schedule, Nena. Give the university my apologies and tell the site director to finish the paperwork for the new office. We'll go there another time."

She nodded. "Consider it done, director."

"Thanks, you're dismissed for the rest of the weekend. Go home and enjoy yourself."

She smiled. "Thanks sir, I will."

Hope rose from his seat when he saw a pair of searchlights approach the car. _That was quick._

He waited for his bodyguards to leave the aircraft and make sure that the area was safe before he went outside and took a deep breath, savouring the much fresher air then the stale air in the aircraft cabin.

"What about the plane, sir?" the captain asked him as he was about to walk down the stairs to the parked car.

"Park it in the hangar, I may want to go home tomorrow", Hope told him.

Home may be a bit of a stretch, Hope thought to himself. He lived wherever he needed to go had rarely time to spend at a single location for a prolonged time. But he did have a place he could call his own, a nice villa on the northern beach of Bodensee where he liked to spend his off-weekends and rare vacations when he had time to spare. _If, rather than when…_

The car was a rather inconspicuous black sedan, neither the newest expensive model fitted for movie stars nor was it some cheap pile of junk heading for the scrapyard. The only noticeable feature were three letters on either side of the vehicle; ISD, an acronym for Institute of Scientific Development.

The ISD had been Hope´s brainchild, born thirteen years ago when he had remembered… everything. Cocoon, Pulse, the Academy, everything from a past life in a world which no longer existed. But these memories had served the fourteen-year-old boy well, and had allowed him to pick up where he left off. The time since then had been hard and challenging, but he had managed to overcome all obstacles and was now the head of his own global conglomerate, with the goal of steering the world onto a better path.

He entered the car and sat down in the back seat. Kai and one of the two bodyguards followed while the second took the front seat next to the driver.

Hope looked at Kai and chuckled. They had been friends in the old world as well, back when they were kids on Cocoon. He knew Kai remembered some of that as well, but the two of them rarely spoke about it. It was all in the past after all, and they had quite a lot to do as it was. _No time to get sentimental_ , Hope lamented.

They weren't the only ones that remembered though. Bartholomew and Nora Estheim both had some fragments of memories from their previous lives as well, and Hope had met many former colleagues from his time in the Academy, many of whom now worked with him again.

But that was it. There were still some people he hadn't met, his former friends and comrades from their great struggle against fate. Lightning, Snow and Serah, Vanille and Fang, Sazh and his son, Noel and Yuel… he hadn't met any of them in this lifetime.

Hope had looked for them when he regained his memories, but his searches had never born any fruit. The most likely explanation was that they hadn't been born yet or had been born much earlier than him and had passed away before he was born.

The thought was painful to bear, but it was a possibility he couldn't deny. But it didn't change his goal in the least if that was the case, quite the opposite in fact. If he could make the world a better place for his former friends in the future, that made it all worth it in the end.

"You look very occupied tonight, man", Kai said. "Got some new bright idea brewing in that supercomputer of a brain of yours?"

Hope gave his friend a tired smile and shock his head. "No, nothing like that. Just reminiscing, that's all."

Kai chuckled. "Well, don't get to lost in your head. We're nearly there."

Hope glanced outside and was surprised when he saw that Kai was right. The brightly lit streets of Paris surrounded them as they made their way towards the local ISD office, a tall, almost futuristic building which didn't fit in among the much older architecture of Paris. A smaller apartment building next to it was commonly referred to as "The Apartments" by ISD employees and was used as temporary housing for company employees who travelled around a lot and needed a room to sleep in during the night.

 _Guess I fit the bill_ , Hope thought as the car stopped in front of the apartment building.

The reception area was covered in bright marble and was guarded by a few security guards who manned a desk and would check any visitor for ID before letting them through into the building.

Hope recognised the sergeant sitting behind the desk as held up his own ID-card. "Good evening Emile, got any rooms for us." He gestured to Kai and the two bodyguards.

"Sure, there are rooms for everyone", Emile said as he checked his computer. "Seven spare rooms on the thirteenth floor… plus the VIP room on the top floor as well."

Hope grinned. Most of the apartment buildings owned by ISD had a special apartment for high-ranking staff members. Paris had one of the best, located in a nicely furnished penthouse. He wouldn't mind sleeping in a big bed and maybe take a glass or two from the well-stocked bar.

"That would be great, thank you", Hope said.

"One more thing, Director", Emile said.

"Yes?"

"There was someone here two hours ago. A young woman, she said you know her."

"Did she tell you her name?" Hope asked. He thought it would be odd for someone to come to the apartment building to look for him. Especially since he hadn't planned on being there less than an hour before.

"No", Emile said, "I told her you wouldn't stay here tonight and asked her to vacate the premises since she obviously wasn't an employee. Did you expect any company, sir?"

Hope shock his head. "No, I didn't. What did she look like?"

Emile looked thoughtful. "Young, and I could swear I've seen her before. She seemed very carefree as well. Told me she'd be back later despite my objections."

"Did she leave her name?"

"No, she never introduced herself properly."

Hope didn't know what to really make of that. He had no friends who would act like that, _not in this life at least…_

 _No! I will not go there_ , Hope schooled himself. It was probably someone who wanted a position in the company and tried to skip the paperwork by meeting the director personally. It could've also been one of his admirers. He shivered at the thought. _Let's really not go there. Period!_

Hope brushed all thoughts of the issue aside and motioned towards the elevator. "Never mind then, can we go up?"

"Go ahead. I've given all of you elevator access as well as access to the penthouse for you, director."

"Thanks, have a pleasant evening", Hope said.

Hope parted ways with Kai and the bodyguards on the thirteenth floor while he continued to the penthouse. He was glad he didn't have to be accompanied there since the bodyguards could feel a bit much at times. That being said, he did appreciate that they took their job seriously, he just didn't like to be treated like a fragile doll all the time.

The penthouse gave the residents a nice view of the Paris skyline, especially at dawn when the sun rose on the horizon. It consisted of one big living room, a bathroom with all necessities and then some, a bedroom with king-sized bed, a kitchen which always was stocked as well as a big outdoor balcony.

Hope took off his suit jacket and freed himself from the necktie. He had never managed to get completely comfortable in business clothing. _Give me a lab coat any day_ , he thought. Maybe that would be a reality when he got back home, at least for the weekend. _Two days with my own experiments, that's something_ , he mused.

But that was tomorrow. He had a bar to raid before calling it a night.

"Let's see what we got", Hope said as he opened the fridge to look for a beer or maybe a bottle gin… and found it stacked top to bottom with glass bottles of colourful cider. Sweet cider.

"What the…", Hope was dumbstruck. He knew all of the high ranking members of the company, and he knew their preferences when it came to alcoholic beverages. Cider was not among any of them. Not even Alyssa who tended to be a bit all over the place when it came to her culinary preferences.

Hope quickly searched the bar for any other beverages and sighed in relief when he found a bottle of red wine. He filled a glass and made his way out to the balcony where he rose the glass to the sky. "Cheers, Paris", he said and took a sip. The liquid had a rich, kinda spicy taste which lasted in his mouth for a while. He smiled and leaned against the railing. Maybe a slightly longer weekend wouldn't be so bad after all. He'd make some calls in the morning and try to make up for his absence on Malta, and then leave for home before the afternoon. Then he'd have the whole weekend for his personal projects whom he had neglected for far too long.

Hope was interrupted in his musings when his phone suddenly started to buzz. He sighed and made a mental note to turn it off when he finished the call.

"Estheim speaking", he said and took another sip of wine.

"Sir, this is the reception", he heard Emile's voice in the phone.

"Something the matter?"

Emile cleared his throat and seemed to have trouble finding words. "Yeah, um… you remember that woman I mentioned?"

"Sure", Hope said. "The one who came by earlier tonight, right?"

"Exactly, well… she's here again and wants to see you. Right now."

Hope sighed. Who in their right mind would try to meet him this late? It didn't matter anyway; he wouldn't waste his time on some stranger in the middle of the night.

"Tell her to book a meeting if it's that important", Hope said, his thumb on the verge of ending the call.

"I did, but she claims Assistant Director Zaidelle gave her instructions to come here."

 _Alyssa?_ Hope thought. _What kind of joke are you up to now?_ It wasn't unheard of his friend to pull his leg a few times a year, sometimes at the expense of interns or prospecting employees.

He emptied his glass and said, "I'm on my way down."

"Roger that, we'll keep her here", Emile said and ended the call.

Hope left the penthouse and headed to the elevator. He briefly considered putting on his suit jacket and necktie but chose to ignore them. He'd be improperly dressed if someone came to visit at an improper time.

Emile and four security guards had the visitor under strict surveillance when Hope emerged in the reception. One of them even withdrew a tazer when he started walking towards the visitor, a woman who still faced the reception desk, casually leaning against it while having a rather one-sided casual conversation with Emile as he looked like he was struggling to keep his temper in check. _There's something familiar about her_ , Hope decided as he got closer to them.

He stopped a few steps away from her, fully aware that the guards would step in if the visitor showed any form of hostility. Something told Hope that wouldn't be necessary.

"I heard you wanted to speak me", Hope said.

"Yeah, I'm looking for this guy", she said and took a step away from the desk.

"He was much shorter the last time I saw him", she continued and turned towards him. Rose-coloured hair.

"He was also a better host", she said and fully faced him.

Hope's heart skipped more than a few beats, and he was certain his eyes would pop out of their sockets at any moment. "L… Light?"

Lightning Farron herself, his old partner, servant of the goddess, saviour of mankind… Hope was at a loss for words.

Lightning smirked. "He also tended to talk all day long", she said.

Hope was a rational man, always acting on logic and doing what would be considered the best choice for everyone involved… but all was thrown away in an instant and he couldn't stop himself from enveloping her in the tightest hug he'd ever given any person in any lifetime.

She didn't seem the least surprised by his reaction and returned the hug just as quickly. "It's been a long time", she said.

"You've no idea", Hope said despite barely registering the words. He focused on her, savouring her warmth, her smell of roses, the smooth, almost velvety hair pressed against his cheek. She was really there, alive in his arms.

He didn't know for how long they stood there, time didn't matter anymore. They eventually came apart, and took a second look at each other. She looked just like he remembered her from the time when she led all of them to the new world… apart from the clothing. But there were also differences at the same time. She seemed much less tense and more carefree, like the weight of the world didn't hang on her shoulders any longer.

"I'm sure you'll tell all about it", she said and nodded towards the elevator. "But I'd like to talk with a little privacy."

Hope looked around them, aware that they weren't alone in the room. The guards had returned to their regular positions and Emile looked as surprised as Hope had been. "You… obviously know each other", Emile said.

Hope didn't care that he had the biggest, sheepy grin on his face and felt like he was about to cry. He was just so happy he almost could burst. "Yeah… we do."

He could only stare at her while she led him to the elevator and had him show her to the penthouse. She snickered when he fumbled with his ID-card at the door like a nervous teen.

"C'mon look at the door for just a second."

They eventually made it inside and Hope showed her to the living room where she sat down in the biggest couch. The smile she gave him brought the spell crashing down. _What now?_

Hope didn't know what to do or say. How do you start a conversation with someone you knew in another lifetime? Unprecedented didn't even begin to describe the situation.

"Would you like something to drink?" Hope finally managed to ask.

Lightning chuckled and leaned back in the couch and made herself comfortable. "Yes, I'll take a cider please."

Hope remembered that the fridge at the bar had been packed with it. He slowly made his way there and got lost in his thoughts. _How does she know that? Did she put them there? No, she hasn't been here before, right? Well someone did it, and tonight of all nights._ _This can't be a coincidence…_

"I heard you had some in the fridge", Lightning called from the couch, effectively breaking his chain of thought.

"Who told you?" Hope asked.

Lightning had a secretive smirk on her lips. "Oh, just this friend who can pull lots of strings when she need to. I think you of all people should be aware of that."

 _Alyssa_ , Hope thought. It had to be her. But how had she contacted Lightning… and when _? It doesn't matter_ , he thought as looked at his guest. _I really have to thank her though._

He decided to remember that for some later time and grabbed two bottles filled with pink cider and returned to Lightning.

"I won't bite", she said and patted the couch next to her.

Hope took the que and sat down next to her. She accepted one of the bottles from him and took a swig. Hope did the same but had to force himself not to grimace. _Sweet, way too sweet._

Lightning didn't seem to share the sentiment though. "Yes, that's the right one", she said.

Hope placed his bottle on the table and tried to find the right words. "Well… I'm sure you have as many questions as I do…"

She took another swig of cider. "Yeah, but I already knew a bit. You're quite the public persona after all."

He smiled at that. "Okay, what can you tell me about the others. Are they around as well?"

Lightning donned a thoughtful expression. "What do you mean by around?"

"I feared I was the only one of us who had been born in this time", he explained. "I feared that you and the others had been born earlier in history or hadn't been born yet at all."

She smiled. "Don't worry about that any more. All of us are alive and doing fine."

That… was likely the biggest burden Hope had ever been relieved of. He laughed. He cried. He fell back in the couch. The feelings… they were simply overwhelming him. All the time he had feared he was the only one… for nothing. And he couldn't be happier for being wrong.

"They all look forward to seeing you again, Hope", Lightning said.

Hope wiped away the last remnants of his tears. "Thanks, Light. I really needed to hear that. Can you tell me what they do?"  
"Why not let them do it. Better to hear from the source, right, mister scientist?"

He chuckled, still not completely balanced again. "Sure, but what about you then? What do you do in this new world?"

She looked secretive again. "I'd let you guess, but something tells me you'd never figure it out. None of the others did, except Serah of coarse."

She produced a small backpack he hadn't been aware was in her possession and dug into its contents. When her hand emerged it held a rolled up magazine. Hope accepted it and took a look at the cover. It was a fashion magazine, featuring Lightning on the cover.

He grinned. "A model? Yeah, I'd never guessed that."

She took back the magazine and smirked at him. "I've done this for a couple of years now. I'm surprised you haven't seen me before in covers and commercials."

He shrugged, his grin still plastered on his face. "Sorry, I have a busy schedule."

"That's okay, that makes you less likely to ask for free clothing unlike Serah and Vanille."

"Where do you live then?" He asked.

"Marseille, but the fashion agency I work for have me traveling across the continent from time to time."

"I know how that feels", he said. "Some of us have to live on a moving foot, right?"

"Yeah, but something tells me you travel much more than me", she said.

He didn't have anything to counter to that since she most likely was right. But of all the hundreds upon hundreds of questions he had, there was one more thing he wanted to know more than anything else. He waited while she emptied her bottle and not so discretely stole his. Not that it bothered him, the stuff was way too sweet for him.

"Hey, Light", he said.

"Hmm?" She took a swig from his bottle.

Hope took her free hand. "I want to know; are you happy? In this new world? In this life?"

He knew it was extremely personal to ask that, but he wanted to know none the less.

She gave him an honest smile and gently squeezed his hand. "Yes Hope, I'm very happy. Both to live in this world and with my life."

"Good", he said. "That's all I wanted to hear."

Lightning gave him a gentle shove and laughed. "C'mon, you must have more questions than that! I'll answer whatever you want to know!"

They spent several hours of the night exchanging questions and answers. Laughing together long into the night as they got to know each other again. Hope was so enthralled in the moment that he tried to ignore his growing exhaustion until he couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep in the couch.

Lightning smiled covered him in a thin blanket before retreating to the bedroom.

"Good night, Hope. I'll see you tomorrow", she said and went to bed.

…

 **I'm considering writing a second chapter, but we'll see when that will come out.**

 **Let me know what you thought, that's always appreciated.**

 **Take care and enjoy your summer.**


	2. Long Time 2

**Hey! Long-time no see, stranger!**

 **Sorry for the delay, life got in the way.**

 **I know of the many grammatical errors in the previous chapter, sorry about that, English isn't my first language, but take it for what it is. I'll probably get back and correct it later on.**

 **This chapter is similar to the previous one, I hadn't intended for that to happen, it just did.**

 **I hope you'll like it none the less.**

 **Ps: Kudos to the one who finds the Monty Python reference.**

…

 **Long Time**

"You always wake up with the sun." That was the statement Nora Esheim had used during Hope's childhood. It rang true no matter how late he went to bed, he'd always wake up early, even if he'd need more sleep. Hope had never given it much thought. He had a busy schedule even back then, and it had turned much busier when he grew up and started his own company.

To sum it up: Hope Estheim had never slept beyond 8 AM, not even on a weekend. Time had always been too precious to waste sleeping it away.

Hope was therefore surprised when he woke up the following morning on the Livingroom couch and saw that it was already 10:37 on his wristwatch. "That's new", he said to no one in particular.

He sat up and stretched his back, trying to recall what had happened the previous night. _And why did I sleep on the couch?_ Am I that overworked? Falling asleep just like that.

"Good morning", a voice called from the kitchen.

The voice caused Hope to spin around and stare at the woman making her way towards him with two steaming cups of coffee in her hands. He kept his eyes fixed on her as she made her way around the couch and sat down next to him.

 _It wasn't a dream… she's really here_. Lightning wore a simple shirt and a pair of black pants, nothing special in any way, but she pulled it off anyway. Her hair was a bit unkempt and damp, probably from a recent shower. And her scent… like freshly picked roses.

"Hey, do you want the coffee?"

The sudden question brought Hope back to reality. "Yeah… sure, thanks", he said and accepted the cup from her.

He took a sip from it to test the taste. It was a bit on the weak side for him, he liked his food and drinks to be strong and make a real impact in the mouth.

"So, what's on the agenda today?"

Hope didn't really know what else to ask. They had met up last night and had a nice chat long into the night, but what now? He didn't have any right to expect her to stick around. And going home to his private lab was also out of the question now. He had lost all focus and inspiration after meeting her in the reception last night. _Damnit!_

"I was thinking of going to Normandy", Lightning said. "There's this nice place with lots of nice people there. They'd love to meet you as well."

 _Nice people_. Hope grinned when he realized which people she referred to. "I'd love to see them as well. When do we leave?"

Lightning drank some more coffee. "After you're done with that cup… and made yourself presentable."

He began drinking his coffee in earnest. "How will we get there?"

Lightning relaxed into the couch. "I didn't bring my car to the city, but I know this guy. He could probably borrow one from his company."

Hope chuckled. "I'm sure he can, anything you'd like in particular. So I can tell him."

She smirked. "Something fast and practical. I don't really care about fancy stuff."

"You won't be disappointed", Hope said and made his way towards the bedroom.

The Paris Office was the one Hope frequented the most, hence why he had his own wardrobe with a few set of clothes in case he needed a new suit or simply had forgotten to bring any luggage on his numerous business trips. He picked a dark grey suit, not too fancy but fancier than something a parent would force a reluctant teenage boy to wear on graduation either. It was one of several suits he'd wear for board meetings and casual interviews.

 _Then again, most people would consider this fancy_ , Hope thought as he brought the clothes to the bathroom and undressed.

The shower was probably the most thorough and quick shower he'd ever taken. He couldn't stop thinking about meeting his former friends, spending more time with Lightning and worrying that all of this still was a dream or a figment of his imagination. _What if it is like the phantom again? What if I'm manipulated like before?_ Hope shook his head. No, those thoughts didn't belong in his life. It was real, all of it. His accomplishments, this free world, even Lightning was real. He was no longer a hollow shell, a puppet used by the divine for their whims.

Hope all but threw his new set of clothes on and made his hair presentable before leaving the bathroom, eager to see Lightning again.

She sat on the couch, combing her hair.

Lightning smiled. "That was quick. You ready to head out?"

He nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

…

Hope called for a car on the way down. They were given a silvery Audi with a full tank of gas. It took them almost an hour to leave Paris because of the heavy traffic. Hop would've normally scoffed at the delay, but Lightning's presence seemed to calm him down. He frankly didn't mind as long as he got to spend some more time with her.

"So, why Normandy?" Hope asked as they reached the countryside.

Lightning leaned back in her seat next to him and smiled softly. "Because Serah wanted that. You remember how she is, right? She always gets what she wants."

Hope chuckled. "Yeah, she knew how to get her will across. What is she doing nowadays?"

"You'll just have to wait and ask her yourself", Lightning said with the same mischievous smile she had worn last night.

"Aw, can't you give me a hint at least?"

"No, keep your eyes on the road, that's the only hint I'll give you."

"Duly noted", Hope said.

…

Lightning guided him towards the end of the journey. She seemed more than a little familiar with the area and knew exactly where to change road and when to slow down due to hidden dangers newcomers wouldn't now about.

"I've been here a lot lately", was the only answer she'd give Hope when he questioned her about it.

Their destination turned out to be a big chateau with a grand garden located on a cliff overlooking the English Channel. It was a beautiful building with many centuries worth of history to its name.

"Welcome to Château de Falaises", Lightning said with a warm smile… and was it longing as her eyes scanned the decorated walls and the large garden with colourful flowers.

"What's going on here", Hope asked. The entrance was crowded by a large mass of people, far more than a meetup for a small group of friends would've required.

Lightning smirked. "I'll let you take a guess."

The parking lot in front of the chateau was just as packed full of cars. Some more fancy than others. An attendant was luckily there to help them find an empty spot. Hope was surprised that he recognized the man, it was a security guard working for his company, though not in his own security detail.

"Nice to see you, director", the guard said when Hope stepped out of the car. "We were starting to think you'd be late."

"Late?" Hope asked. "Late for what?"

Lightning intervened before the guard could speak. "We're here now, so there's no reason to panic. Is everything going as planned?"

She had the same commanding aura Hope had witnessed on Cocoon and Pulse. The soldier still lived on in her today despite her new career as a fashion model. Hope smiled fondly.

The guard was taken aback by Lightning but quickly regained his bearing. "Yes, all guests are accounted for. The two of you were the only ones missing. Your sister's been very anxious I might add."

Lightning nodded. "I'll go speak to her." She turned to Hope. "Well then, shall we?"

"To find out what this big mystery trip is? Yes, please."

The first person Hope picked out from the crowd gathered outside the entrance was a certain big oaf. His appearance surprised Hope. The big man wore a neat suit, complete with a necktie and a clean-shaven face. That was a combo Hope never thought he'd see in any lifetime. Had he really changed that much?

"Hey there, little bro", he called out as Hope and Lightning got closer.

Hope grinned as he was crushed into a bear hug. "Hey there, big guy."

 _No, Snow hasn't changed at all_ , Hope thought.

He heard Lightning chuckle behind them. "Well, you seem to be in good hands for now. I'll go and Serah, see you guys later."

Snow released Hope and turned after Lightning. "You better hurry, sis. Serah is tired of waiting."

"Don't push your luck, Snow", Lightning said with a smirk. "She hasn't said 'I do' yet."

' _I do'_ , Hope thought as realisation dawned on him. He stared at Snow as Lightning disappeared into the building. "Sorry if I'm out of the loop, Snow but I have to ask… is this your wedding?"

The big man grinned. "It sure is. Welcome by the way. I would've given you a fair warning, but she-who-must-be-obeyed wanted the wedding to coincide with our reunion with you. Both of them, actually."

Hope let out a laugh. _So both Light and Serah planned this… could be worse I suppose_.

He quickly regained his composure. "I'm honoured to be here, Snow. I just wish I could've brought a wedding gift to the two of you."

"You being here is a gift in my book", Snow said. "It's damn nice to see you, Hope." He chuckled. "Though I have heard you're doing decent at least."

Hope snickered. "Yeah, I'm doing alright. You to it seems", he said and gestured to the chateau. "Just renting this place must've cost you guys a fortune."

"A fortune and then some", Snow agreed. "But neither I nor Serah paid a single dime."

That peaked Hope's interest. "Really, who's paying for this then?"

"That would be me", a very familiar voice chimed in. "Or rather both of us if you're picky."

Hope turned around and faced his second in command, the one who had helped him establish his company and had shared his many burdens over the years. The same one who had been in contact with Lightning. "Hello, Alyssa", he said, no longer surprised by anything.

The young woman wore a purple gown of silk, something you'd see at a fancy wedding. Something like the one they were attending. She gave him a hug despite the two of them seeing each other at least once a week. He hugged her back, having grown accustomed to it some thirteen years ago.

She released him and took a step back. "Hey Hope. Nice of you to stop by."

"Are you in on this?" Hope asked, despite already knowing the answer. He wasn't mad at her or anyone involved. He felt happy, happier than he'd been for many years. It was just… overwhelming.

"Yep, about as involved without being the one standing at the altar", Alyssa said.

"It was actually Alyssa here who gave me Serah's address", Snow chimed in. "About… two years ago?"

"On the day", Alyssa said. She smirked at Hope. "I couldn't stand the thought of your friends not reuniting in this life. So I nudged some of them in the right direction, so to speak."

Snow looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah… I responded to an advert for parts for my motorcycle. I was instructed to visit a certain address at a certain time." He smiled at Alyssa. "Turned out it was a fake ad meant to get me to the Farron residence."

Alyssa looked proud. "That was one of the most difficult jobs I've ever done." She met Hope's eyes. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get her parents out of the house without her leaving as well? I managed though."

"And we're both thankful you did", Snow said. "I didn't remember anything about our previous lives before Serah opened the door. It all came back in an instant. The strife we endured, the hardships, the loss… but also our love. I've never been happier in my life."

Hope thought Snow was about to cry. That would've really been a first. He was the kind of person who'd shove his own well-being and emotions aside at first notice if someone else was in need of his help.

"Did you nudge someone else as well?" Hope asked Alyssa.

She assumed that coy stance she always wore when she had a secret. "Well… someone may have directed this boy who used to hunt to a girl he didn't know he was looking for. But that was quite recent, just a couple of months ago. I may also have matched up a certain pilot and the woman who ended up bearing his son. A really nice kid by the way. Then there were these two girls with funny accents, but they managed on their own pretty much. I just had to make a small intervention."

 _So this is what you've been up to_. Hope knew Alyssa had taken much more time off from the company ever since they founded it. He had never questioned it since she had managed her duties with flying colours. Not everyone was married to their work like Hope was.

"How… how did you find everyone?" Hope asked.

"By spending lots and lots of time on the internet", Alyssa answered. "It was all about the finer details, finding clues and matching them to what I already knew. I got fed up when you couldn't be bothered to do what really was necessary to get results."

Shame. Hope felt ashamed. He had no one to blame but himself for not finding his friends himself. But he had let his fear prevent him from doing so and had given up before even putting some real effort into it. Hope knew then and there that no recompense would be enough to Alyssa. She wouldn't ask for anything, but what she had done for him and his friends… he could never return the favour no matter what he did.

"C'mon, don't get all gloomy", Alyssa pouted. "This is as much for you as for your friends. At least for me it is. Get going, mingle with the guests, get reacquainted with your friends, all of you deserve it."

She turned to Snow. "I have to get back to it. Good luck by the way, cowboy."

Alyssa winked at Hope before she left. "Save one dance for me, that'd be enough to pay me back."

 _That's hardly enough_. Hope wanted to stop his friend and thank her… but nothing would be enough in his mind. _One day maybe…_

"Alyssa's been a big help", Snow said. "Don't worry about her, she seems to be in her element now. All of us appreciate what she's done for us, the past is in the past after all."

Hope was ready to let it go, he had just one more question on the subject of Alyssa. "She said, 'we payed for this', what did she mean by that?"

Snow shrugged. "She contacted me and Serah when we announced our engagement and promised to pay for our wedding, no matter how expensive it was. I was reluctant to the idea, but Serah wanted to be wed at a castle with a nice view of the ocean. This place fit the bill quite nicely."

Hope had to agree with that. This place was perfect for the occasion. He didn't even mind if Alyssa had spent money and recourses from the company to make it happen. _Money well spent._

"But enough about that", Snow said. "It's great to have you here, little bro. Both of us insisted on it."

"'Little Bro?'" Hope asked. "I am older than you, you know?"

Snow laughed. "Yeah, I know. But you'll always be our little brother, no matter the number on your licence."

"Gee, thanks." Hope scanned the crowd. "Care to tell me who's here?"

Snow grinned. "A better question would be 'Who's not here', Hope. Most are friends or family of mine or Serah, but some are people who Sis met during the final days. I'm sure you recognise some of them." Snow made a waving gesture towards a small group of people in the crowd.

Hope recognized them as those friends Snow had founded New Bodhum with, the NORA gang. One of them was pointing to his wrist and motioning for Snow to come to them. Snow let out a deep sigh and turned back to Hope. "Hate to ditch you like that, but I have some things to attend to. Go on and mingle, little bro. We'll talk more later."

Hope could sympathize with the big guy, he was the groom in this wedding after all. There were probably lots of things he had to attend to before the bells struck.

"No problem, Snow. Go do what you need to do."

Snow grinned again and gave Hope a thumbs up.

"And good luck!" Hope shouted after Snow before he disappeared in the crowd. Not a small feat for someone his size, Hope mused.

Hope scanned the crowd for familiar faces and saw two which he immediately recognized. A tall tanned woman with dark raven hair and a smaller girl with red pigtails. Both wore matching blue dresses, a colour which Hope thought suited Fang just fine, and Vanille managed to pull it off as well.

Fang waved him over. "Look who decided to show up! Just in the nick of time!"

Hope chuckled and was almost suffocated when Vanille brought him into a crushing hug not even Snow would've been able to rival. "Heya, Hope!" She said excitedly. "Snow told us about their scheme to get you here, but we started to think that you'd be late."

He chuckled again and managed to free himself from his friend's grip. "Yeah, you're not the first one who's told me that."

Fang proceeded to give him a short but friendly hug. "At least you got here in time." She stepped back and looked him over. "And look at you! The kid turned into Mr. Fancy-Pants!"

 _This is Fang alright_ , Hope thought. "Well, not everyone can dress for the wild like you", he teased back. "But I'd say you're not in a position to discuss my clothes. Both of you are quite dressed up as well."

"But that's because it's a wedding, Hope", Vanille said with her most girly tone. "You have to wear a dress today."

"Pardon her, kiddo. Vanille's been working herself up into a frenzy over the last few days." Fang made a sweeping gesture towards the other guests. "But she's not alone. There are lots of girls like her around here today."

Hope looked at the two of them. They looked at easy despite Vanille's excitement and didn't seem likely to disappear into the crowd. The realisation kicked in. He actually had some time to talk to them before the wedding started. He could ask them whatever he wanted to know. All the questions he had thought of over the years since he remembered his previous life… but none of them managed to manifest in his head.

Fang snickered. "You look like you're at a loss for words, kid."

"Can you blame him?" Vanille whined. "He just got here. Bet he doesn't even know where to start."

"Fine", Fang said. "Both of us live in Australia. We Take care of wounded animals and lead guided tours in the bush. We have this nice little place close to our workplace, and like buttered scones for tea on Wednesdays."

"That's one way to break the ice", Hope chuckled. "How long have you known about… well, everything? You know, our previous lives, the crystal age, those events?"

Fang shrugged. "Little less than two years I suppose. I was visiting a friend in Melbourne when the train ticket on my phone was refused by the conductor. I ended up going to a ticket booth to complain." Fang smiled at Vanille. "This girl here was interning as the attendant."

"Everything came back when we saw each other", Vanille said. She had a dreamy voice. "Not even fate could keep us apart forever."

"It sure couldn't." But smirked at Hope. "But we do know that this Alyssa friend of yours did have something to do with it as well."

"Of course", Vanille said. "And we're thankful for that, but I like to think that it was inevitable for us to reunite."

"To sum it up; we're good, Hope." Fang clapped her hands together. "Now, time for you to spill the beans."

"I'm an open book, Fang. Granted, most of it is filled with math, but I'm an open book. Ask away."

"We already know about what you do for a living", Vanille said. "You're on the news from time to time, and information about you is abundant on the internet. We want to know the personal stuff."

That was a hard topic to discuss, since Hope's private and public life walked hand in hand. His work was who he was after all. He had to try to explain something more interesting though. "Sure, I have a nice Lakeview house complete with my own private lab. I like to go hiking in the Alps when I have some spare time. Though that rarely happens more than once a year."

"Boring!" Fang teased. "Can't you tell us something spicier? Don't tell me all of the tabloids are wrong. No steamy affairs with celebrities? Isn't it true that you bought a continent's worth of the moon when you got drunk a while back? That you use the casino in Monte Carlo to launder money? Please, tell us something!"

Hope laughed. He did have friends who were celebrities, and talked to several leading politicians on a first name basis. He also did own a small area on the moon, but that was because of research purposes. The Monte Carlo incident was pure tabloid though; he had simply visited the casino with some friends after a successful deal went through. No gambling, just some mingling and drinks.

But Fang didn't need to know that. He smirked. "That's for me to know, not you."

"Aw, now you have to tell us!"

He laughed "I don't have anything more to say about that."

"When and how did you remember the crystal age?" Vanille chimed in, clearly understanding that Hope wouldn't budge on the previous topic.

Hope laughed even more. "Pure coincidence." He looked at Vanille. "Or some might say destiny or inevitable."

"Tell us!" Vanille grabbed his arm and urged him on.

"Sure, it was thirteen years ago. I was a simple student in an overcrowded school. We had more than a thousand students, milling about the corridors between classes. Someone would always collide no matter how careful we were."

"So?" Fang asked.

Hope could see her impatience. This was much more fun than he had thought. "I'm getting there. So, people tended to collide, I was no exception. A fourteen-year-old kid with the head stuck in the clouds. One day I collided with another student with her head stuck in the clouds."

"Alyssa, right?" Vanille asked.

"Exactly", Hope said. "We were in different classes, and had never met before, but all of it came back when we got up from the floor and saw each other."

"I'd guess what happened next if this was a fluffier tale", Fang teased.

Hope would've blushed if he had been younger. "That's not exactly what happened. We stared at each other for a long time. Both of us tried to process what had happened, what we remembered. Then we skipped classes for the rest of the day, remembering our previous lives and trying to help each process it all. Alyssa was really sorry about what she did in the past. Helping Caius Ballad, trapping Serah and Noel, shooting me." He did leave many details out, but they would at least get the gist of it.

"Did you forgive her?" Vanille asked.

"Within a heartbeat. Everything is forgiven as far as I'm concerned."

"And then?" Fang asked.

"We used our newfound memories to take a good look at our new world and decided to make our mark on it so to speak. We took all of which we knew as scientists from the old world and started to apply it in this world. At first we published theories in the scientific community, then we used our knowledge to program better software for companies around the world to earn money, money we saved and used to start the very company we run today. That way, we'll change the world, slowly but surely." Once again, he left many details out.

Fang snickered. "That was a long monologue, or maybe a sales pitch."

"But he did tell us at least", Vanille said in his defence.

"Yeah, I did condense it quite a bit."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you did", Fang said.

The rest of the conversation was cut short when Alyssa called out to the crowd from the small flight of stairs leading to the chateau entrance.

"Can I have your attention please? The wedding is about to start. Please proceed to the garden and find your seats. Thank you, and I hope you have a wonderful day!"

"Guess that's our cue", Vanille said.

"Sure is, let's go, Mr. Fancy-Pants", Fang winked at him.

 _It beats 'kid' at least._ Hope simply chuckled and followed the heavy stream of people towards the garden.

Hope didn't know much about flowers or trees, but it did look like they had every flower and plant under the sun gathered in the garden. A large spot had been left empty however and was now filled with white benches which were neatly decorated. Further away close to the cliff edge was a nice altar made out of marble. Hope suspected that more than a few couples had been wed in this garden.

He quickly lost sight of Fang and Vanille in the crowd, but he did find two people he hadn't expected to meet at all in this place… his parents.

Both of them had aged well over the last decade, but Hope could see that age was starting to wear on his father. Bartholomew Estheim had lost almost all of the colour in his hair and his eyes were clearly tired from many long years of work. But he was even so radiating the same glow his wife and the rest of the guests expressed.

Hope took a seat next to them on the right side of the aisle, pretty far away from the altar but there were just too many guests to find enough space for three people any closer. _It will do_ , Hope concluded and leaned back in the bench. The sky was clear and fair. The temperature was warm but not too warm, just enough to make most people comfortable. _They couldn't have chosen a better day for their wedding_ , Hope thought.

"I was wondering what you were up to", Nora told her son.

"You're in on this as well?" Hope asked despite knowing the answer. Of course they were in on it, everyone but him was. _Not that I complain_ , Hope mused. They had remembered their previous lives as well, shortly after he and Alyssa had regained their memories. The Estheim family had talked a lot about it over the years, but had decided to not let it define their future. They led better lives in this new world, as a more united and whole family.

"Alyssa told us about this a few months ago", his mother said. "We figured it'd be fun to play along." She grinned. "Just to see the look on your face. Too bad we didn't see you when you came here."

"Ignore her, son", his father said, smiling as well. "It's nice to meet everyone again. We're honoured to be invited to this wedding as well."

Hope suddenly recalled them telling him they were supposed to visit France this weekend and attend a wedding. He could've never imagined it would be Serah and Snow's wedding though.

"It was nice of them to invite you", Hope said.

"Definitely", Alyssa said as she sat down next to Hope. "They insisted that everyone involved in our earlier lives would be here today. Not just for the wedding, but also for a proper reunion."

"You look tired, Alyssa. Busy day?" Nora asked the young woman.

"Yep!" Alyssa exclaimed. "Organizing a wedding is much more difficult than I ever had imagined!"

"Leave it for someone else next time", Bartholomew said with a fond smile.

The Estheims had gotten to know Alyssa really well over the years and had come to see her as a member of the family. Hope appreciated that, everyone needed a pillar to lean back on from time to time.

The conversation as well as the buzz around them came to an abrupt end when Snow walked down the aisle and stopped by the altar. Hope recognized the best standing nearby as Gadot, Snow's best friend from NORA back on Cocoon and Pulse.

But everyone grew even more quiet and turned back towards the other end of the aisle. Hope followed their eyes and smiled. The bride had arrived.

…

 **Once again, it didn't turn out like I had intended it to, but that's how it is.**

 **Lightning didn't get that much text this time, but she'll be back.**

 **This will be a three parter, the final chapter will be out eventually, probably sooner than the time between the first chapter and this one. I had intended for it to be limited to two chapters, but the second one is already too long, so the final part will have to wait.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this.**

 **Best regards.**


	3. Long Time 3

" **Look who it is, you!"**

 **This is it, my friends, the final chapter. It took much longer than I had intended, but it's here at long last. I hope you'll enjoy it despite its grammatical flaws. Just one of the disadvantages with English not being my mother language.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 13 in any capacity except for the discs on my shelf.**

 **Also: This is simply a piece of fanfiction, it doesn't represent my views on the games or how I think they end, I have read Tracer of Memories and know that this fic doesn't follow that story in any way. This isn't even my opinion on how the series should end, and anyone saying otherwise is putting words in my mouth. Gods I can't believe something that obvious needs to be said.**

 **Anyway, sorry for that rant. Please enjoy our stay.**

…

 **Long Time 3**

…

Serah was absolutely captivating in her wedding gown. It was a long, overly decorated affair with thin straps holding it in place over her shoulders. None of the present guests could resist the rays of pure joy she radiated when she was led down the aisle by a well-dressed, middle aged man with greyish hair with some tints of blonde.

 _That's probably their father, Mr. Farron_ , Hope concluded. He saw a woman sit on the front row, he suspected she was in her mid to late forties. Her hair still had a deep colour of rusty red, and her face reminded him a lot of both Lightning and Serah. _That ought to be their mother then_ , Hope thought as he looked between the two of them.

But his heart skipped a beat when he saw the maid of honour. He had never doubted Lightning would've been the maid for Serah's wedding, but he had never considered how she'd look in a dress. He had seen the dress before, many times during her time as the saviour during the end of days. But he had never been able to appreciate how she looked in it by then, another side effect of having most of his emotions and feelings supressed.

But that wasn't the case now when she walked past Hope on the aisle. He could only stare while the other guests were focusing all their attention on bride and groom _. I watched her wear that thing for days, and it never occurred to me just how well it suited her_ , Hope thought.

Lightning didn't seem to be bothered when more than a few pair of eyes turned to her and seemed to be looked on her. She's a model, it's just another day at the office for her, Hope thought with a grin. Her eyes met him for a split second, and his grin sneaked its way onto her lips as well. He gasped for air. _Gods, she's beyond beaut_ …

Hope was suddenly shoved gently by his shoulders and brought back to the present.

"Stay focused, son", his father said with an amused grin. "You're not the one getting married today."

Hope glanced from his father to his mother and then to Alyssa. They all gave him knowing grins. Realization hit him like a freight train. _They know_ , he thought in horror.

Alyssa gave him a friendly elbow in the ribs. "Where are your manners, Hope? She got a job to do. There's no reason to distract her right now."

"She the one doing the distraction", Hope mumbled to no one in particular and glanced towards Lightning again. He grinned when he saw that she barely had managed to stifle a laugh, probably thanks to their antics.

Her mother didn't look as amused by her older daughter's antics, but neither the couple by the altar nor the minister seemed to be bothered. She'll hopefully never know of my involvement, Hope thought as he glanced at Lightning's mother.

The minister cleared his throat and began the ceremony. Hope tried to keep his focus on the couple by the altar out of respect to Snow and Serah, but his eyes tended to find their way back to Lightning from time to time. Hope rose from his bench with the rest of the guests at the end of the ceremony when the groom kissed the bride and applauded them. He was surprised that Snow managed to restrain himself and give Serah a proper kiss. He was even more surprised that Serah wasn't satisfied with such chaste kiss and pulled her now husband into a much more intimate and long kiss.

 _Well, I shouldn't be surprised by a Farron any longer_ , Hope mused.

The newlyweds turned towards their guests with big grins and received an even bigger applause.

"That went without a hitch", Alyssa commented beside Hope. She had a fond smile. "You'll have to excuse me now", Alyssa told the Estheim's. "There are still lots of things to direct before the day is over."

"Don't overwork yourself", Nora said as Alyssa prepared to sneak away from the crowd when the guests started to leave the ceremony.

"Oh don't worry", Alyssa said and nodded towards Hope. "I've worked for this guy for thirteen years, I know my limits."

The two Villiers were the first to leave the garden, closely followed by the bridesmaids, the best man and the couple's families, then followed by the other guests. Hope was able to catch many familiar faces when the crowd walked past his bench. _At least one plus with ending up this far back_ , Hope thought.

All of the bridesmaid wore the same colour as Lightning, a deep purple dress, though none of them wore identical dresses. There were several maids Hope had never seen, but he recognized Yuel the former farseer, Lebreau from NORA and of course Lightning. Hope got a glimpse of Snow's parents for the first time, both were of middle age and were nicely dressed, though Hope thought they looked pretty ordinary… with the exception that it was easy to see where Snow's height had come from. The elder Villiers was all but a giant, even taller than his son.

Noel Kreiss gave Hope a friendly smile when he walked past Hope. The boy wore a dark suit though he didn't seem to be at ease in the attire. Sazh and his little son Dajh followed, both of them dressed for the occasion, though they had kept their old hairstyle. Hope half expected to see a familiar yellow bird peek out from the older man's hair, but he knew that no such creatures existed in this world. No magic, no miracles, just an ordinary world with ordinary people. Hope recognized Rygdea from Cocoon's military and one of the people who had helped found the Academy. The tall man gave Hope and Bartholomew a recognizing nod and followed the crowd. Hope saw Maqui and Yuj from NORA as well in the crowd before he and his parents left their bench and followed the thinning stream of people leaving the garden.

…

The photo-op had already started when they emerged on the yard facing the east most side of the chateau. A professional photographer was taking pictures of the grinning couple together with their parents and other family members. Several of the guests held their cameras and phones ready in their hands, eagerly waiting for their turn to take ridiculous amounts of pictures. Hope found Fang and Vanille and decided to stand and wait with them. He didn't intend to join the fray with his phone though.

"Aren't you gonna take some pictures?" Fang asked.

He shook his head. "No, I doubt I need to. Vanille can send one to me afterwards", he nodded towards Vanille who held her phone at the ready.

"But you have to take pictures!" Vanille exclaimed. "Ya know, to show respect and all."

Hope chuckled. "I doubt they'll be that upset with me. It may also save them some time if some of us rely on others for pictures."

He was surprised to see Lightning among the first group of family and friends who showered the couple in camera flashes. _Nothing should surprise me anymore_.

"Doesn't this get you into a marrying mood?" Vanille said with a dreamy tone. Neither Fang nor Hope had time to answer the question when the Villiers and Farrons left the couple for another salvo of photographs. "Oh! Me! Me! Me!" Vanille exclaimed and literally threw herself in front of Snow and Serah.

Laughter and a round of applause could be heard from the crowd. Hope chuckled and looked at Fang. "You heard her, right? You better look out."

Fang smirked. "She knows that I want to wait a while more. I'm not that concerned." The tanned woman turned to him. "What about you. Does this get you into the mood?"

He chuckled again. "I hadn't even thought about it until you brought it up. Can't say I lean for or against it, to be honest. I got quite a lot on my plate as it is", he added with a knowing smile.

He had always been indifferent towards the topic, much to his mother's chagrin. His work simply didn't allow for such luxuries in life, and it would've been unfair to whoever he married, making the whole act pointless. He still remembered how his father had tried and failed to combine his workload with a family back on Cocoon.

"Sure", Fang agreed with a mysterious grin. "But you never know what life throws your way."

Vanille returned to them, her dress more than a little dusty. "Heya, what're you talking about?"

"Marriage in general, I suppose", Fang said and looked back on the newlyweds.

"Isn't it amazing? I'm getting so excited!" Vanille said to Hope.

"Yeah, I'm glad they finally got their wish granted", he agreed.

The photo-op continued for a while, the parents and other family members joined the couple in various combinations and poses until they all excused themselves when Serah made an unusual request. "Could all of our old friends please come forward?"

Most of the guests looked among themselves in confusion at the strange request, but the addressed people had no difficulty deciphering who she meant.

"That's our que", Fang said as she led Hope and Vanille to the gathering group of friends.

Hope suppressed the urge to hug and get reacquainted with the former l'cie, that could wait until later at the reception or the mingle before then. He just smiled brightly and stood next to Snow on his left towards middle of the group and with Noel on his right. Yeul looked was a bit shy, but a few encouraging words from Noel and Serah helped her to muster enough courage to join the group.

The photographer and the two elder Farrons took a number of photos. Hope was used to having cameras pointed at him, but he discarded his usual professional smile and allowed himself to grin into the cameras. He couldn't stop himself, he didn't think he had been this happy before in this life.

"Are you done?" Lightning eventually asked her parents. "I'm sure the guests are starting to get hungry."

"Yeah, yeah, princess", her father said with a slightly mocking tone. "We just wanted to commemorate the moment. You'll understand when you have kids yourself."

Hope stifled a chuckle. _Princess? I'll remember that one, Light!_

"We're not done yet!" Serah suddenly exclaimed.

The whole group looked at her. "We're not?" Lightning asked.

Serah shook her head. "No, there's still one of us missing. The one who made all of this possible." She turned to the crowd. "Alyssa! Come here before I drag you in front of the camera."

Several guests laughed or chuckled at the outburst. Hope was pleased to see Alyssa appear from the crowd and approach the group. She had teary eyes. "I'm not sure I deserve that", she simply said.

"Nonsense!" Snow exclaimed with his trademark grin. "You're a part of us as well now."

"Please", Serah simply said.

Alyssa wiped a stray tear and joined the group between Lightning and Vanille to the left of Serah.

The bride turned her head back towards to the cameras and smiled. "Now, go wild."

They all chuckled when the cameras resumed flashing.

…

"Now, may I have your attention!" Serah finally shouted to the buzzing crowd of guests as the photographer and eager parents finally seemed to be pleased with their work. "The reception starts in three hours! The chateau has several diversions for you to enjoy until then. An art museum, a beautiful garden with a magnificent view, and a passage down to the sea if you'd like to swim! We've procured a number of swimsuits just in case you'd like that! There's also a buffet with some light food in case you're hungry!" Serah turned towards Alyssa. "The buffet is ready, right?"

Alyssa chuckled. "It's ready, don't worry."

"Right! Go ahead", Serah exclaimed to the guests. "Mingle, I'm sure there are people here who'd love to meet or get reacquainted! Enjoy yourselves!"

The guests took he que and started to disperse in different directions. Several of the younger guests, particularly families with children headed for the sea. Hope decided to follow Serah's advice and get reacquainted.

"Noel!" He said as the boy moved towards Yuel.

"Hey Hope! Long time, right?" Noel said as Yuel moved to his side. Hope grinned and pulled him into a quick but friendly hug.

"Good to see you, both of you", Hope said as he looked from one of them to the other.

"Likewise, Hope", Noel said and took a step back as Hope and Yeul shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you, Hope Estheim", Yuel said a bit shyly.

"Nice to meet you too", Hope said.

"We've heard lots about you lately in the media. You seem to be doing well", Noel said quickly, obviously trying to prevent an awkward silence.

Hope grinned. There was no reason to be embarrassed or feel awkward, they were all friends after all. "I do, but you should take that with a grain of salt. But please, I'm more interested in how the two of you are doing."

"We're doing fine", Noel said. "I'm a park ranger in a wildlife preserve." He hugged Yuel to his chest, much to her embarrassment. "I met this angel when her school visited a while back. Life's been perfect ever since."

Yuel's face turned red as a tomato. "Shut up", she whispered and elbowed Noel in the ribs.

Noel yelped in surprise but regained his balance quickly. He grinned sheeply at Hope. "What about you, Hope? Tell us what the media isn't telling us."

Hope shrugged. "I run my company, and do some private research as well on the side. There's so much for us to learn, yet so little time. I'm simply doing what I can to help advance mankind."

Noel looked at him thoughtfully. "But why, Hope? The world isn't in the same kind of danger anymore. You don't need to shoulder the weight of the world anymore. You can let go of the past. Mankind will manage."

Hope had his reasons, but he concluded that a wedding wasn't the place for such conversations. He had to keep his answer short. "trust me, I have managed to let go, Noel. But sometimes, you have to embrace what you've become as well." It wasn't much of an answer, but Noel would have to settle with it.

The boy nodded slowly. "If you say so, Hope. Sorry, this isn't the time or place."

"No problem, Noel. You're just curious, I can respect that."

"We were on our way to get something to eat", Noel said. "Would you like to join us?"

Hope was hungry, there was no denying that, but he wasn't done on the yard just yet. "Sorry, but I haven't said hi to Sazh or Serah yet. I'll join you guys in a bit if I don't get tied down."

"Sounds good. Shall we go?" Noel asked Yuel.

"Lets", Yuel said.

Serah and Snow was surrounded by eager guests and family members. Hope quickly had to accept that any congratulations would have to wait until later.

A fatherly arm sneaked its way across his shoulders. "You better wait, kid. They'll be busy for a while", Sazh said.

Hope gave the older man a quick hug. "Yeah, they better form a line", he agreed. "How are you doing, Sazh?"

Sazh returned the hug. "I'm doing well, Hope. You?"

Hope took a step back and smiled at Sazh. "I'm good, keeping myself busy and apparently attending a long overdue wedding."

Sazh grinned. "Yeah, I heard they were going to pull that on you. I _hope_ you don't mind", he said while putting an emphasis on Hope's name.

"Of course I don't", Hope said. "It made the whole event much more memorable. It's good to see you." Hope turned to Dajh who was standing close to his father. "Nice to see you as well, Dajh."

"Nice to see you too, Hope", the little boy said.

"What are you doing nowadays?" Hope asked. He was more than a little interested in what his friends was up to.

Sazh ruffled his son's hair a bit and chuckled when the boy tried to escape the assault on his hair. "I'm working as a flight instructor… and doing my best to keep this little rascal out of trouble."

"Dad!" Dajh squirmed at his father. "I want to go to the ocean! Let's go!"

Sazh gave Hope an apologetic look. "Sorry to keep our reunion short, kid." He smiled fondly at his son. "But duty calls."

"I understand, Sazh", Hope said. "We'll talk more later."

"You bet on it", Sazh said as Dajh took off towards what Hope assumed to be the passage which led down the cliffs to the ocean.

He spent most of the afternoon mingling in the garden and yard with the other guests while he waited for an opening to approach the bride and groom. Most of the guests had little to nothing to do with their previous lives from Cocoon and Pulse from what Hope could recall at least. Many were awed at the fact that a successful businessman like Hope Estheim was invited to the wedding. Particulary because no one had heard that couple knew him personally. It was easy for Hope to avoid the questions with some general answers which didn't really answer anything if you thought about it. He wasn't proud of it, but it was the least complicated answer he could give compared to the alternative. _'Oh, I met them in a previous life. We saved the world, broke time itself and saw the end of days.'_ Not complicated at all.

He had some pleasant conversations with the parents of the couple and was a bit surprised at how carefree Serah and Lightning's father seemed to be. _A bit like Snow I suppose_ , Hope thought. The conversation eventually turned back towards how Hope was familiar with Snow and Serah when he spoke to Lightning and Serah's parents.

"I was surprised when my girls said they knew Hope Estheim!" Mr Farron said. "But here you are, as an honoured guest no less!"

Hope was unsure if the older man was aware of their previous lives and decided to be as discreet and vague as possible. "Yeah, I guess you could say we go way back. It was a pure coincidence that we met."

"You'll have to tell us about that later", Mrs Farron insisted. "But it looks like they want to speak to you now." She nodded towards Snow and Serah who still were surrounded by guests but were waving him over.

"Better not keep them waiting then. I hope we speak again", Hope said. He bowed to the two Farrons and walked to the waiting couple.

Serah embraced him in a firm yet quick hug. "I'm so glad you could come. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to greet you when you arrived."

"That's alright", Hope said when she let him go. "I'm honoured to be invited."

"Of course you'd be invited", Serah said firmly. "We wouldn't have it any other way. I made that abundantly clear to Claire when she left to come get you."

"It's not like sis would've had it any other way either", Snow added.

Serah grinned at Hope. "True, she wouldn't." She looked thoughtfully at Hope for a moment. "I'm sure all of this was a bit overwhelming, but I hope you're enjoying yourself. This was intended to be our big reunion after all."

"I am", Hope assured her. "Words can't describe how happy I am to see everyone again. It was nice to meet your parents as well." He looked at Snow. "All of them."

Serah let out an amused sigh. "Mom and dad can be a bit much at times. But you'll learn to cope."

"He'll have to learn, and quickly", Snow added almost in a whisper.

That statement puzzled Hope. _What did he mean by that?_ He doubted he'd meet the elder Farrons again for a long time. His work didn't exactly allow for pleasure trips to the parents of his friends. It would probably be years until another reunion like this if there'd be one at all. At the earliest when Snow and Serah started adding members to their family.

Serah's laughter brought him out of his thoughts. "You look like a living question mark!"

"He'll get around to it", Snow said, equally as amused as his wife.

Hope looked from one to the other and shrugged. "I'm sure I will."

"The reception will start in an hour or so", Serah said. "You should mingle some more, or have a look around. This place is beautiful."

Hope glanced around him and saw several impatient faces on the guests waiting for their turn to congratulate the couple. _Congratulate! I forgot that!_ Hope chided himself. He was still overwhelmed it seemed. But he could take a hint and salvage the situation.

"Right, I'll have a look around. Congratulations by the way. To both of you. You deserve this."

They exchanged quick hugs and separated. Hope headed for the garden and accepted a glass from a waiter who was serving refreshments to guests. The garden was home to many different plants, flowers and trees, each more colourful and vibrant then the next. Hope talked to a few of the guests and then sat down on a bench overlooking the ocean. Serah had been right about the garden, it was beautiful. The view was no less spectacular either.

He emptied the glass in one swing and realized too late that he had no idea what the glass had been filled with. _Champagne!_ Hope cursed his dry mouth and thoughtlessness as the final drops left the glass. _I guess there'll be no more driving today then_ , he sighed and pulled out his phone out of his pocket. _Where will I stay tonight?_

The company had a small office in Caen. It wouldn't be hard to call a taxi and get him there, but they didn't have any empty apartments or lodgings for employees in Caen though. He'd have to find a hotel to stay the night. Not unusual considering his work, but he preferred to have a place to spend the night arranged before he went to the next business trip.

A quick search yielded a myriad of hotels in the surrounding area, though most of them were fully booked. There were fortunately a few spare rooms in the more expensive hotels if the prize wasn't an issue. And money wasn't an issue for Hope Estheim.

"Hey, what are you up to?"

Hope froze when he felt something cold press against his neck.

"Playing with your phone could be considered bad manners on a wedding", Lightning said and rounded the bench he sat on.

Hope chuckled when he realized exactly what Lightning had pressed against his neck: a bottle of beer. He didn't recognize the label. _Probably some local brand_ , he thought as he accepted the bottle from Lightning.

"Thanks", he said and took a swig, mostly to calm down his nerves. This woman had the ability to make a fool out of him on his best days, he had probably looked like a clown when she surprised him.

She simply smiled at him and sat down next to him. _Close_ , Hope thought when their thighs pressed together. Warm, soft yet firm, going on and… no, I won't go there. He tried to preoccupy himself with something, anything that didn't make him appear like a lovesick schoolboy. She had a bottle of her own in her right hand, the same brand of cider she had been drinking the previous night. He had never thought Lightning of all people would drink something like that. Guess everyone is full of surprises.

"What were you up to?" Lightning asked and snatched Hope´s phone from his lap before he could protest. She scanned the screen critically and sent him a look of disproval. "Planning on leaving us already? I thought you wanted this reunion."

 _Gods, you have no idea_ , Hope thought as he became increasingly aware of her for every second she spent pressed up next to him. _That flowery scent, like roses, the stray locks of hair waving in the wind, those crystal-clear blue eyes which would drown any man who dared to peer into them, her thighs and legs hidden under your dress_ … Hope stopped his train of thoughts, mentally chiding himself for letting his mind wander yet again.

He cleared his throat. "No, I mean yes! I wanted this more than anything in the world." _If only you knew!_ "I just realised that I need some place to stay for tonight, that's all!"

She smirked and handed his phone back to him. "You're one of the honoured guests, Hope. We've rented this whole chateau for the weekend… well, Alyssa did anyway. You already have a room. There may even be a second room available." She put an emphasis on the last sentence.

"What do you mean by 'may', Light?"

She took a swig from her cider and smirked at him. "That depends on how much you like your room."

There was something about that smirk, but Hope couldn't quite grasp the hidden meaning behind it. _I'll just have to wait and see_. He drank some more beer and tried to focus on the taste. It wasn't anything special, no particular taste and neither strong nor weak, just bland. But it was just what his dry mouth needed, especially now.

"Want to tell me more about your modelling career?" Hope asked before the silence became awkward. He knew it wasn't the best topic, but he wasn't thinking that well at the moment at all.

Lightning laughed. "We're at a wedding, and you want to discuss work? What, are you offering me a job?"

He grinned at her. "No, I just wanted to know how you ended up in that business. The Lightning I knew wouldn't have chosen that kind of career."

She shrugged mysteriously and smirked at him. "Play your cards right and I might tell you one day. But I can tell you that the Lightning you used to know has changed quite a bit."

"Definitely, but I still think you're the same person", Hope said before he had pondered the thought.

They spent some time talking about non-work related topics. They compared travels around the globe, favourite foods and music taste, and other trivial matters. Hope didn't mind it a bit, and would've continued until the reception if one of the other bridesmaids hadn't interrupted them and fetched Lightning. Hope hadn't recognized the young women but guessed she was one of Serah's friends. Lightning finished her cider and stood up.

"Duty calls", she said with a hint of annoyance and gave him a fond pat on the shoulder. "We'll see each other at the reception."

"Sure", Hope said as he watched the two women disappear into the chateau.

He spent the rest of the afternoon getting more reacquainted with his former friends from the old world. He wished it would've lasted longer, but the evening approached much sooner than he had expected and he was almost saddened when one of the waiters announced that the guests were to enter the dining room.

The inside of the chateau was even more richly decorated then the outside. Hope saw several centuries old paintings on the walls, painted by famous artists and craftsmen. The curtains by the numerous windows were of crimson velvet, and each doorway was crowned by a prideful coat-of-arms. _What a fancy place…_

The dining room was big enough for a monarch to hold court, and could easily hold twice the number of guests present. Given how busy the staff looked, Hope was glad on their behalf that Serah and Snow had restrained themselves from inviting even more guests.

There were four large tables present for the guests to seat themselves, one main table for the newly married and their closest family members and then three more placed so no guest's back would face the main table. These tables were placed in the middle of the huge room, while number of smaller tables had been arranged on the far side of the room where the staff was finishing the preparations for a large buffet. _Yeah, self-service is the way to go with a crowd this big_ , Hope thought.

He found Noel and Yuel sitting at the middle of the three tables reserved for guests, not far from where the groom and bride sat at the main table. Hope was about to take the seat next to Noel when he noticed that the plate had a nametag written on it. _Vanille_ , and the one next to it had _Fang_. Hope saw Noel smirk in the corner of his eye when scanned the other plates but didn't think much about it. _Where is my seat?_

"Hey, kid, that's my chair", Fang said as she pushed her way past him and sat down on her spot at the table.

Vanille smiled politely as she made her way around him and sat down as well. Sazh and little Dajh were soon there too, the boy's hair was still damp from his dip in the English Channel. Hope scanned the closest seats but came up empty. He found his friends' names as well as other people from the old world, including his parents and members from NORA, sans Gadot, but Hope supposed the best man would've been placed close to the groom during the reception. He began searching further away from the main table, he was a late addition to the guest list after all. They'd probably just placed him further down the table somewhere. Hope had just begun to broaden his search when he was interrupted by Fang.

"Hey, kid! Stop standing there like a lost puppy and get to your chair!"

Hope gave his friend a shrug. "I would if I knew where it was."

Fang nodded towards the main table with a big smirk. "Shouldn't be that hard for you to find."

Hope chuckled when he followed Fang's gaze and landed on Lightning. She was sitting at the main table a few chairs away from Serah and Snow. The chair next to her was empty. _Does that mean…_ Lightning waved at him and gestured towards the empty chair. I guess it does.

"She's waiting for ya!" Fang said as Hope turned to make his way around the tables. "Don't keep her waiting."

 _I won't._

"I didn't think I'd be seated at the main table, and certainly not this close to the bride and groom", Hope told Lightning as he sat down on the chair next to her. The nametag read _Hope_.

Lightning looked a bit apologetic towards their friends left at the middlemost table. "We wanted all of you guys to be seated at this table, but there wasn't just enough space for all of you together with our parents and close relatives."

"I don't think they took any offence, Light", Hope said reassuringly. "They'll understand."

"Right", she said. "I wish it could've been different though." She turned towards the bride and groom and smiled broadly. "But the wedding is next to perfect anyway. I couldn't be happier for them."

Hope chuckled. The time Lightning had scorned Snow and Serah's relationship suddenly seemed like yesterday. Seeing her not only accept the idea but also encourage it was a beautiful sight. _We have all grown and changed_ , Hope mused.

"Some thought you'd like to share?" Lightning asked him with ta coy grin.

"Heh, I was just thinking about your opinion on Snow back on Cocoon. You've changed, Light."

She laughed. "You're one to talk, Hope. You hated his guts."

Hope spread his arms and made a mocking bow. "And I managed to change as well. That applies to all of us, and I'd say it was for the better."

She flicked him on his forehead. "You're right, just don't make a big deal out of it. Change is natural."

Hope wondered if she could see and appreciate exactly how much she had changed from the old world. He never imagined he'd have such a pointless and easy-going conversation with this woman. But this wasn't the Lightning he had known. Not completely at least. Lumina was inside there as well, and together they were Claire Farron, a person Lightning happened to be a part of. But it didn't end there. The whole wedding was a combination of the old and new. His own life applied to that as well. The Hope Estheim who had lead the Academy after the fall was no more.

A hand flicked his forehead again. "Don't zone out on me", Lightning said. "A penny for your thoughts?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how much we've all changed, that's all."

Their conversation was cut short after that when Snow and Serah stood up to call for a toast. All of the guests had been seated and served champagne or soft drinks for children and non-drinkers. Hope had been too stuck in his own thoughts when the waiter had asked Lightning if Hope wanted champagne or a soft drink. He was glad she had made the order for him and made a point to thank her later if they had some more time to talk during the reception.

"First, we'd like to thank everyone who managed to be here with us on our big day", Serah began. Snow spoke next. "Some of you got a late invitation, but we're glad you're here none the less. It means the world to us." Serah raised her glass filled with sparkling champagne. "Both of us have waited for this day. We're overwhelmed by the support all of you have shown us along the way. We know it hasn't been an easy journey, but we're finally here to greet the new dawn." Snow raised his glass to Serah's. The guests followed suit. Snow looked like he was about to cry of happiness. "Let's greet it together. We hope all of you will find the same happiness we have found together." They brought their glasses together. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" the rest of the guests echoed.

A number of speeches followed, spoken by the newlywed's parents, the best man and of course Lightning, though she waited to be the last to speak.

She cleared her throat and looked at Snow and Serah. "To see you this happy… both of you. It's more beautiful than I ever imagined. I knew I didn't always see eye to eye with you, Snow. But I know you'll take care of Serah and make her happy. I couldn't ask for more, thank you."

The assembled guests applauded, and Hope was sure Snow was at the brink of crying at that point.

Lightning held up her left hand to signal that she wasn't done yet. She looked like she was on the brink of tears as well. "You've both earned this happiness. Savour it to the fullest, and always remember to be there for each other."

Both bride and groom cried at that point. Hope could feel tears of joy try to make their way out of the corners of his eyes as well. The guests applauded again, this time without Lightning signalling them to stop.

"That was a good speech", Hope whispered to Lightning when she was seated again.

She actually blushed a little and let out a deep sigh. "I don't know, it wasn't what I had planned to say. I lost the words and had to improvise."

"That's very human", Hope said. "But you managed to salvage the speech and brought both of them to tears. It couldn't have gone better."

"Yeah, I'm just glad it's over now." She glanced at him and grinned. "But give me a call if you need a new spokesperson for the company. I have on good authority that I'm good at speeches."

He chuckled at that. Different or not, Hope enjoyed spending time with this new Lightning. "Will do, I'm sure my Assisting-Director already has your number."

"She do", Lightning said.

They didn't have time for any more chitchat, as the guests sitting around them were instructed to start digging into the buffet by the staff. Hope fell in behind Lightning as she joined the line towards the buffet tables. Hope noticed that the bride and groom remained seated and was served two large plates with neat dishes placed on them.

He chuckled when he saw a large tray filled with neatly cut pieces of steak marinated in red wine. Lightning was filling her plate with the meat.

"I just remember", Hope said as Lightning passed the tongs to him. "You promised to make me some of your famous steak, Light."

She chuckled. "Phrasing, Hope. But I suppose that could be arranged. Some other night of course."

"Of course", Hope said as he took a few slices onto his plate next to a myriad of other dishes. He fondly remembered the grilled meat they had eaten under the Pulsian night sky, a dish he never had been able to replicate himself. That wouldn't be a problem for the chef who had made them though.

They returned to their seats with full plates, Hope's a bit more varied than Lightning's. Hope was thrust into several interesting conversations with the neighbouring guests during the dinner. It was hard to give a good answer on the question on how he knew the bride and groom, but he always managed to deflect the question before he said something weird or stupid. All conversations were interrupted at least once when someone called for a toast or the guests cheered when the newlyweds shared a kiss.

He also managed to talk more with Lightning, which he considered the highlight of the evening until then.

"So, what'll you do when you're done here", Lightning asked with an interesting glint in her eyes.

"Back to work, I suppose", Hope shrugged. He didn't really know what to make out of that question. He grinned. Two can play that game. "But I've heard public relations may increase their ranks shortly. That ought to make things interesting."

Lightning smiled and took a sip from the glass of red wine they had been served for the food. She didn't seem to enjoy it and had fought to drink it during the evening. Hope had considered to offer to drink it for her, but had decided not to. She still had her pride to preserve.

"You'll have to wait a while before that happens", Lightning said with a smirk and leaned back in her chair. "I heard she enjoys her current work, but she appreciates the offer."

"Aw, and here I was hoping", Hope said with fake disappointment.

"Seriously though", Lightning said. "Just work? Nothing else coming up in the near future?"

He took a sip of wine himself. _Where is she going with this?_ "That's the idea. But I'm adaptable, in case something was to come up."

Lightning nodded towards Snow and Serah who stood up and then made their way to a section in the room which had been left empty to serve as a dancefloor. "Want to dance?"

Hope's heart skipped more than a few beats and he was certain he looked like a living question mark. _Calm down, Estheim! It's just a dance, don't think too much about it!_

"Sure, that'd be nice", he finally said.

They rose from their seats and joined the growing crowd of guests who had formed a square around the dancefloor. A woman dressed in a fancy evening gown made her way to a piano nearby the dancefloor. Hope instantly remembered her. Olga! The singer Light helped during the final days! The one with the wayward husband! The pianist had played a number of familiar songs during the evening, but Hope recognized the next one immediately. Lightning had sung it several times during their journey together back in the days. She had done so when she didn't think anyone had heard her, but none of them had missed the soft song she had repeated like a mantra. Hope had asked Snow about it, and had learned that it was Serah's favourite song, simply known as _'Memory'_.

Snow and Serah had the dancefloor to themselves for the first dance, slowly spinning back and forth in tune to the soft melody. The crowd applauded the couple when the music died down and soon joined them on the dancefloor.

Hope savoured every second he got to spend with Lightning and wouldn't have minded if the dance had lasted longer. He danced more than a few times before and had learned some tricks over the years. He made sure to use them all during the dance. It was impossible to contain his grin when she proved to be as well-versed as him in the art of dancing.

"I think you've enjoyed tonight as much as I have", Lightning said as they danced.

Hope made sure to remember the lovely smile she gave him. "I won't deny that", he simply said and spun her around.

Lightning yelped but was quick to adjust her balance just in time for their dance to end and press her body to his. "The night is still young though", she said and looked over his shoulder. "See you soon."

She let him go before he had time to register what was going on. In her stead, Vanille appeared in his arms. The young woman was grinning from ear to ear and looked a bit out of balance. "Hopey!" She cheered. "I. Want. To. Dance."

Hope brought her close just in time for the music to start again. "Let's dance." He noticed that her eyes seemed a bit absent and she stumbled a bit. The conclusion was easy to make. _Yep, she's definitely drunk._

"You enjoying yourself?" Hope asked as they danced, making sure not to collide with any other couple on the dancefloor.

"Lots!" She hiccupped. "This is an amazing wedding."

She smiled radiantly. _Fang better watch out_ , Hope thought with a grin as they dance.

Fang was the next one to take Vanille's place. "Vanille's in a really good mood tonight", Hope said. "You better be careful."

Fang chuckled. "There's nothing for me to be worried over. It's just a shame she ended up drinking too much. I will NOT hold her hair when she pukes."

"Maybe she'll learn a lesson then", Hope said.

"I hope", she said. "Right, time to change partner, I'd say good luck, but I don't think you'll need it."

Hope danced with Alyssa next. "I'd say the wedding's been a great success. Well done, Alyssa", Hope said.

"Thanks, Hope", Alyssa said. "It's been a lot of work to pull it off, but I'd say it's all worth it."

"Exactly", Hope said. "We're all thankful for what you've done for us. Thank you, for doing what I couldn't do."

The dance was nearing its end. Alyssa smirked at him. "You can thank me by taking advantage of the next dance." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck."

"Can I cut in?" Hope heard a familiar voice ask.

"Certainly", Alyssa said and let go of Hope stepped aside for Lightning.

Hope took Lightning in her arms and began to dance even before the music started. He didn't realize what he had done until the pianist began playing a much slower tone. Lightning chuckled against him but didn't seem to have minded his eagerness.

"Straight to the point?" She asked.

 _For once today_ , Hope thought and looked at her. She smiled at him as they slowly spun around the floor. He had seen her smile before, but there was something more behind that smile, something pure yet fierce, something new yet old at the same time. _Gods she's beautiful_. Hope wanted it all.

The room became irrelevant. The dancefloor didn't matter anymore. The other guests could've been armed assassins for all he cared. The woman in his arms was all he cared about. He became painfully aware of her hands as they sneaked into his hair and brought his head down towards hers. He hugged her closer to him as their lips met, savouring the moment and cementing it into his memory.

…

The sun had risen a few hours before Hope woke up the following morning. The room was unfamiliar. _Old European style_ , he thought as he glanced at the furniture. The room was big, not a suite, but much bigger than an apartment or regular a hotel room. He was lying in a large bed, probably emperor size.

His body felt sore but also more at ease then it ever had been. He tried to stretch his arms when he felt something restraining his arm. Or rather someone. A quick glance revealed a messy bun of rose-coloured hair sleeping on his shoulder. He then realized that both of them were naked.

A thousand memories came back to him at once. Every touch, every sound, every sensation. They flared like wildfires through his body.

Yet happiness didn't manage to register in his mind. Despite the fact that this had been exactly what he wanted… there were just too many questions left unanswered. _What does this mean? What happens next? Will she regret it? Will she think I took advantage of her?_

The last two questions were too likely for his liking. _Great job, Estheim! You may have ruined everything. You may…_

"You think too much", Lightning sleepily said.

Hope almost jolted out of the bed, but he managed to enforce the strict discipline and self-control he had developed through numerous meetings with business rivals and politicians.

"You're awake", he said, barely managing to keep his emotions from reaching his voice. Actually being in this situation with the woman he had longed for… that was something entirely new for him.

Lightning crawled on top of him and pressed her lips to his. Hope's thoughts stopped dead in their tracks. Her lips were a bit dry yet impossibly soft, her morning breath noticeably bad amazing at the same time, her body warm and soft like velvet.

She lifted her head from his and smiled. "I don't regret it, Hope. You haven't ruined anything."

He let out a sigh. "So, what'll we do now?"

Lightning smirked. "That show we pulled off last night will cause many questions. We could stay and answer them if you'd like, but I think we can use the time better. Don't you think?"

Hope remembered their kiss had escalated into a make out on the dancefloor and then into Lightning leading him towards her room in chateau for them to spend the night together in privacy. Hundreds of people had seen them disappear with very obvious intentions. His parents among them.

Hope didn't feel any shame about what they had done, but there was merit in running away. _Running away! That's what she meant! Eloping!_

He took a long breath and mentally prepared himself for the most important question in his life. He slowly caressed her left cheek and brought away a stray lock of hair.

"Light, you are the most amazing woman I've ever met. Will you marry me?"

She leaned down and kissed him. It wasn't neither long nor short, just enough for both of them to enjoy the kiss. "Yes, I will", she said as their lips came apart.

He grinned and kissed her again. It was longer, more intimate.

"I think that minister who wed Snow and Serah stayed for the night", Lightning said. "How about we go find him."

Hope sat up and kissed her again. "Lets", he said.

…

 **And that's the end.**

 **I have thought about making something more, like a series of one-shots in a separate story, but I'm not convinced myself. We'll see.**

 **This have been long journey, and I'm glad you've gotten to the end.**

 **Romance isn't really my forte, but I wanted to challenge myself a bit. I don't know if it was successful, but it's done at last.**

 **Best Regards: Jack Hargreave**


End file.
